


Destiny of the Souls

by cassandrasfisher



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2018-02-05
Packaged: 2018-11-06 08:27:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11032416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cassandrasfisher/pseuds/cassandrasfisher
Summary: Leonard Snart sacrificed his life to save his team, but instead of dying he was sent to S.T.A.R. Labs in a coma state. Will he wake up? When he does will things be different for him or does he return to his previous line of work? He's not the only one going through some changes. River Dawson-Casey a member of the Legend team life has been turned upside down how will she deal with everything?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt at a The Flash story. I had this idea bouncing around, so I decided to type the story out and post it on AO3 for everyone to read. I do hope you enjoy the story.
> 
> This is also a story in tribute for Leonard Snart. He's a great character and he will be missed on The Flash.
> 
> I want to say thank you to theoriginalicecreamqueen who is helping me with the story by letting me bounce ideas off of her and for her beta reading my story also.
> 
> I also would like to say thank you to JDL71 for helping by beta reading my story.

* * *

There it was, a plus sign on the stick.

_ ' _ _ Oh...crap." _

 

This wasn't what she was expecting. Things were definitely going to be different now. She wasn't only caring for herself. She had a child growing inside of her. Her mind was a mess. There were so many things to think about, it was amazing how she didn't have a headache now. They had returned on the Waverider not too long ago to Central City to May 2016, not January 2016. Rip had dropped them off then he went back to put their younger selves back into the timeline.

 

There were nine people all together and the Captain made it ten in total on the Waverider. So far their adventure hadn't gone well.  Snart had sacrificed himself to save them. Savage had Carter and Kendra... Rip didn't want them continuing the fight. For her, the fighting was over. She had someone else to think about now.  She was going to be a single mother. 

 

A knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts. Not knowing who it was, she wasn't about to let the person know she was in the room. If she was quiet enough she could make it to her backpack and get out her daggers.

 

"River, I know you're in there," the vibrating voice said.

 

It was the Flash. How had he found her? She wasn't in Central City or Star City. If he was there, she was surely going to get pulled back into the madness. She had more important things to think about than fighting. Her child came first. River moved closer to  the door.

 

"What do you want?" River asked.

 

"I need you to come with me," The Flash pleaded. He sounded like he was missing his favorite toy and was desperate to get it back. 

 

"I can't," she told him regretfully.

 

"River, why are you here? Are you hiding from someone? Are you in danger?" The Flash asked with concern in his voice.

 

"Flash, I am fine. I just need time to think, that's all. I will come back to Central City when I am ready, not before."

 

River realized he had called her by her first name. She had never talked to the Flash before, so how did he know her name?  She couldn’t worry about The Flash right now, she had more pressing things to figure out.

 

She had a feeling he vibrated his voice so she wouldn't figure out who he was. River didn't mind at all. Everyone was entitled to their secret. She had a big secret, and she didn't want anyone to find out, not until she was ready. 

 

"He's alive."

 

River froze.  Did he mean Snart or did he mean someone else? It couldn't be Snart, he died saving them. There was no way The Flash could know about Len. Tears sprung to her eyes, River wiped them away before they could spill. The moments before they had to fight the time masters were precious to her, even if Len didn’t realize it himself. The kiss good-bye before he sacrifice himself was her letting him go.

 

"Who's alive?"

 

"Snart,"

 

Of course, there was the possibility The Flash could've gone back in time and saved him after they left. If he did she would be forever grateful to him.  Tearing up once again, this time she let a few tears spill before wiping them away.

 

"Thanks for letting me know. I meant what I said. I just need to figure some things out. I will be back in Central City soon."

 

River looked through the peephole to see The Flash still standing there. After a moment The Flash was gone.

 

Barry didn't want to leave, but he had to. Forcing River to go back to S.T.A.R. Lab with him wasn't the right thing to do.  He sped back to S.T.A.R. Labs.

 

"So what did she say?" Iris asked him.

 

"River said she needed to figure out some things, then she would be back." 

 

Iris brows furrowed.

 

Barry flashed out of his suit to normal clothes. He then moved over to the next room. In the room laid Leonard Snart on a hospital bed. He appeared at S.T.A.R. Labs five months ago. Caitlin moved quickly getting him hooked up to the machine to make sure he was still alive. Barry hung around while she got Snart situated. 

 

They didn't know what happened to him. They couldn't ask anyone who was with him what happened, due to the fact they didn't know how to get in contact with them. 

 

Barry looked up everything he could find about time travel on the internet and in books, he even went as far as talking to other scientist around the world. None of the information he received told him anything about what happened to Snart. He even had half a mind to call Doctor Stein to see if he could tell him what had happen. It took Barry a moment to remember even if he called he didn’t know if Stein would get the message.

 

Everyone had noticed Barry hanging out more and more at Leonard Snart’s bedside when he wasn't at work or with one of them. No one said anything to him about that.

 

Iris moved over to his side.

 

"You care about him,"

 

Barry didn't say anything for a moment. Iris knew him well enough he didn’t need to answer her. There was a feeling washing through him at her words, he knows he can’t hide. 

 

"Yes, I do," Barry started as he put his hands in his pockets. "Not sure when I started to care about him, but I do now. I'm not sure what happened to him, but I want to find out.  Oh...have we found out anything about Lisa?"

 

"No there's no sign of her. Cisco has been trying to find her with the gold gun, but there's nothing yet." Iris worriedly said as her brows furrow.

 

"That's something.  It's been five months and we haven't found her, it means something has happened to her.  We’ve got to find her. I don't want to have to tell him his sister isn't here."

 

"Barry, we will find her, don't worry."

 

"I would feel better if we found her soon."

 

"We'll find her."

 

Barry just nodded his head at the reply. Iris gave him a hug.

 

"Are you going to be okay here Barry?" Iris asked him.

 

"Yes, fine. If you need to go...go I am sure Cisco is around here somewhere."

 

"I'll see you later Barry."

 

Iris left, leaving Barry who sat in a chair next to Leonard Snart's bed.


	2. Chapter 2

How did this all happen? This couldn’t be happening. Cisco was dying. He was protecting her against The Molar.  The Molar had fired one of his spearlike weapons at her. Cisco had stepped in front of her. 

 

“No Cisco.” Lisa screamed, as she caught him before he hit the ground. Tears were streaming down Lisa’s face. She saw Cisco’s bloody smile.

 

“Ow…”

 

“Why’d you do it?” 

 

“As long as you’re safe, I am good with my decision,” Cisco told her as he coughed. 

 

There was blood trickling from his mouth. Lisa knew that his team was near. The light was slowly fading from his eyes. In between gasps he was able to say one last sentence. “I love you.” 

 

“I love you too Cisco,”  Lisa said, as she felt him take his last breath.  

 

It was then Lisa was still; everything in her world just faded away. This was the man she had loved and was he’s dead..

 

There was a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see who it was. It was The Flash. Lisa didn’t want to look away or let Cisco go. She shrugged The Flash’s hand off her shoulder.

 

“Lisa, I am so sorry,” Barry vibrated voice said. Lisa stiffened a bit.  She wasn’t sure what he was going to do with her now. 

 

“Did you get him?” Lisa asked as she glanced up at him.

 

“Yes, we got him, with the help of your brother.” 

 

Lisa knew she should be worried about Len, but at the moment she couldn’t care. Right now, Cisco was her concern. He had his whole life ahead of him, but The Molar took his future away. Cisco was the man she saw her future with and now it was gone. He had taken her future away. 

 

If she could protect herself better this wouldn’t have happened. She was good at fighting, but she had to be better now. Her Gold Gun would never be worked on by Cisco again. She would have to be tougher.  Things were going to change now.  She was going to be a different person with the death of Cisco.

 

**Five Months Later**

 

Lisa was with Mick and her brother, they had just finished a robbery. They were in the getaway car. Robbing others was still a thrill, but for her the joy wasn’t really there. It hasn’t been for a long while.

 

“Lisa you okay?” Leonard asked.

 

“I’m fine, Len,”  Lisa retorted quickly.

 

“Are you sure?” 

 

“Yes, I am sure. So when’s the next robbery? I know you, you already have another job in mind,” Lisa pushed. 

 

She had to push forward. She needed to keep moving. What would be Cisco’s reaction if he saw her now?  

 

“S.T.A.R. Labs.”

 

Lisa froze. The blood drained from her face. Why S.T.A.R. Labs? He knew she wasn’t ready yet to face it, but she needed this push. Was he trying to help her move on, or was he planning a heist? 

 

“You’re white as a sheet, are you sure you’re okay?” 

 

“Yes, I am fine. What are we stealing?”

 

“They’ve created a forcefield which even The Flash isn’t able to get through. It would help us in our robbery.”

 

It sounded if they had it, it would make getting away from The Flash a lot easier. It might be an asset to them, with the emphasis on might. Lisa didn’t want to hurt anyone who was friends with or knew Cisco. It wasn’t about the tech or the unusual friendship she had with The Flash team. It was because Lisa was grieving for Cisco.

 

“It sounds great. How much longer before we go after it?”

 

“Well, I have been casing the place since the incident with The Molar, so the plan has been in place to get the device. We can get in and out without anyone seeing us. The device is small enough to put in the palm of your hand.” 

 

Something was off, Lisa knew her brother. He would never split his attention between two jobs at once. He always focused on one job at a time. She knew her brother didn’t start one job until the current job was done and he usually only has one set of plans out at a time. If she remember correctly she saw two plans laying on the safe house table a few months back.  This wasn’t normal. There was something wrong here, just Lisa couldn’t put her finger on it at the moment.

 

“Len are you okay?” Lisa asked sweetly.

 

“Lisa I’m more worried about you at the moment,” Len softly replied. His voice sounded off. Lisa knew her brother and he was acting weird. The fact Len actually said he was worried about her instead of saying their nickname for each other was a red flag for her. Things were shaky at best at the moment. The feeling of something not being right here was growing a little more as time passed by.

 

“I can take care of myself.” Lisa huffed out, as she crossed her arm and looked out the window. 

 

Lisa knew her brother wasn’t one to show emotions or let it be know to her he was worried about her. She was going to have to figure this out and fast.

 

It was about ten more minutes of driving before they got to one of their safe house in Central City. They got out of the car and carried in the spoils from the robbery. Everything was placed on the table, spread out. 

 

The sheer bulk of cash covered the entire surface. Some of the money was held together with a slim piece of paper wrapped around it.  Lisa wasn’t sure but she estimated they had over ten thousand dollars on the table.

 

“So, what should we do with all this money?” Lisa asked as she looked over at Leonard.

 

“I think we should burn things,” Mick said. Lisa looked over at him and raised an eyebrow.

 

“What? It’ll be fun, and you could use your gold gun. It hasn’t been used in a long time,” Mick commented.

 

“No, we are not going on a spree so you can burn things. Plus me using my gun is my business not yours,” Lisa started as she moved to stand right in front of Mick. “If you even think about getting my gun I will have you on the floor calling uncle so fast it’ll make your head spin.”

 

Mick threw his hands up and step back from Lisa.

 

“I didn’t mean anything by it.” Mick said as he turned to walked back to the table with the cash. “No need to get your panties in a bunch.”

 

Lisa ignored the remark from him. 

 

She went over and sat down on the couch. She was tired and this hadn’t filled the empty space in her heart. Nothing ever would. She was broken and she didn’t want to be fixed. Cisco’s death was still fresh in her mind. It still felt like it happened yesterday for her.

 

Lisa stretched out on the couch and closed her eyes. Sleep overtook her.


	3. Chapter 3

River dropped onto the bed. The news The Flash told her shook her to the core. Not even being slightly nauseous took her attention away from what was happening.  Everything changed once again. How was this going to be now? Since she was a metahuman would her baby also be a metahuman, and if so what would their power be? All this she wanted to figure out first before she went back to Central City.

 

There was a lot she needed to think about. River wanted to talk to someone about what was going on.  Barry was the person who popped into mind. It’s been a long time since she called him. They were really good friends, she just hoped he wasn’t upset with her when she called him now.

 

River retrieved her phone out of her backpack and hit number three on her phone. His was number three on speed dial.

 

Barry answered on the third ring.

 

“Hello,”

 

“Hey, Barry. It’s River. I was wondering if we could talk.”

 

“Umm...sure. Where have you’ve been? I haven’t heard from you in a while.” Barry said.

 

“I‘ve been out of the country,” River lied. 

 

She had to protect her friend from the truth. She wasn’t sure what he would do if he found out the truth.

 

“Do you want to talk over the phone or do you want to meet?”

 

There was a pregnant pause.

 

“I would like to meet if that’s okay with you,”  River said with a worried tone.

 

It would be great to see Barry again. She did like him. Being away, she found herself thinking about Barry as more than friends.

 

“Okay, Where are you right now?”  Barry asked.

 

That’s right, he had no idea where she was at the moment. River needed to talk to someone and Barry was the one she wanted to talk to. They met at a science convention and been friends since the first day of the convention.

 

“I’m at a motel called Subarumbas in Michigan.” River told him. There was only one motel with that name in all of Michigan.

 

“I’m actually about fifteen minutes away. I’m visiting a friend in Michigan. Let me say good-bye to him and I will be there in fifteen to twenty minutes.” Barry told her.

 

Hmm...it seemed a little too convenient to her, them to be in the same state at the same time and very near one another. If she didn’t need to talk, she might try to find a reason to look at the coincident a little closer.

 

River mentally shook her head. Barry had no reason to lie to her, but he did act a little strange after the lightning struck him. He had been in a coma for almost a year, three months shy to be exact.

 

“Okay. It’s great to talk to you Barry.”

 

“I’m glad you’re alive and well. I’ll see you when I get here.”

 

“I’ll see you then.” River said as she hung up the phone.

 

A quick shower would be great. River headed to the bathroom with a clean set of clothes and started the shower.  It didn’t take her long to get in. She took a quick five minute shower. Her hair was wet when she got out, air drying her hair was what she always did.

 

Getting dress didn’t take too much time. She was still feeling a bit nauseous after getting out of the shower. River made her way to the door and she looked out the window to see Barry who was in the parking lot heading to her room.  River opened the door for him and waited in the doorway for him.

 

River couldn’t help taking in his form. He was definitely different, she just couldn’t put her finger on it at the moment. She had to admit he looked more handsome now than he ever had before.

 

It didn’t take long for Barry to get to the door. They were standing face to face.

 

“Hey Barry, it’s great to see you. How’s life treating you?” River asked him. The urge to just kiss him was strong. He was so close. She stood still and just looked at Barry. 

 

“I’ll answer that after I get my hug,” Barry said. 

 

They had started hugging each other after they had met at a science convention. River and Barry hugged. The scent which hit her nose was heavenly. Barry smelled like fresh dew drops with a hint of pine. Her nausea went away, she wasn’t sure how long it would last. She didn’t want to break the hug, but she did.

 

She moved out of the way and let Barry into the room. Barry went over to the bed and sat down on it. River sat down next to him.

 

“Life is going okay. I am still working as a CSI at CCPD. I’ve been worried about you for awhile after not hearing from you.”

 

“Sorry. I’ll make sure to let you know when I am going on another trip if it ever happens again. I doubt I’ll leave anytime soon.”

 

“Thank you. Exactly what are we going to be talking about?”

 

“I need some advice on something. I want to tell you everything then you can let me know what advice you want to give me after I finished.” River said quietly, as she looked at her hands.

 

“Sure, I’ll listen to all of it before saying anything,” Barry told her, as he took her hands in his. It made River look at him.

 

“This trip I took was with a group. We decided to help out this captain who came looking for us.  We have been busy going after this other person who hurt a lot of innocent people to stop him. During this time I ended up caring for someone very much. We both had a near death experience, While we had the near death experience we talked and I found out he’s interested in someone else. I doubt things were going to work out between us, so I let him go then and there.” River started, as she shifted slightly to be a bit closer to Barry.

 

River took a breath before continuing her story.

 

“The thing was, we had an adrenaline high so we worked it out together. The guy we had been after captured us. We were able to escape for the fact the person I care for sacrificed his life to save ours. The captain dropped us back here without giving us a choice if we want to continue the fight with him or not. Right now I don’t want to fight at all. The Flash found me and told me the person who I cared about was alive. I don’t know what to believe right now. All I know is I am not going to endanger the life of my child.”

 

River slipped one of her hand out of his and place it over her stomach with a smile on her face. River watched as the color drained from Barry's face.

 

“You’re having Len’s baby?” Barry shocked voice asked.

 

River’s eyes widen.

 

“You’re  _ his  _ Barry. The one he talked about a lot. How do you know him?” River questioned.

 

“I know him because he was my nemesis.”

 

“What do you mean was your nemesis?”

 

“I’m the Flash.”

 

River sat there quietly as she thought for a few moments about the differences in Barry after his accident. There were things which now made sense with the knowledge of him being The Flash.

 

“So you know about the Legends?”

 

“Yes, I do,”

 

“So Len is with you then?”

 

“Yes, he is,” Barry said as he stood up. 

 

He started to pace back and forth. River just watched him. 

 

River just told Barry she was having Len’s baby. The news itself was a lot to take in. She knew Len liked Barry, and she knew Barry liked Len. She wanted them to both to be happy, she was going to step aside and let their relationship grow. There wasn’t room for her or her child in their life. She was going to raise her child on her own. River didn’t expect Len or Barry to take care of them. 


	4. Chapter 4

Cisco let out a groan. He had hit another dead end on facial recognition. He had been working around the clock with little to no sleep as he tried to find Lisa Snart. Five month has passed since the last time he had seen or heard from her. He wasn’t going to stop looking for her. Lisa wouldn’t have disappeared without telling him something.

“Cisco my man, when’s the last time you got any sleep?” Ronnie asked him. 

Cisco looked over at Ronnie, then looked at the clock on the wall across the room.

“Got some rest five hours ago.” Ciso replied. 

Ronnie moved over to him, he placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Cisco, I mean where you actually slept in a bed for more the four hours straight.” Ronnie commented.

“Um….that would be five months ago.” Cisco whispered.

“I know you care for her man, but it’s not going to be good if we do find her and you’re dead on your feet man.”

“I’ll get some rest after I find her.” Cisco insisted.

“Cisco?”

“Yes Ronnie.”

 

“What would Lisa say if she was here right now?” Ronnie asked him quietly.

Cisco looked at him and ran his hands over his face, then looked at Ronnie. Cisco knew he was was just looking out for him. They were good friends.

“Lisa would tell me to go and get some sleep. It’s better to look at the problem after you are well rested.” Cisco admitted tiredly.

“If you won’t go and get some rest for me, will you go and get some rest for Lisa then?” Ronnie asked him.

Cisco just nodded his head in reply. Cisco took a few minutes to make sure everything was running fine, Then he gather his things and left to go get a proper rest. 

Caitlin slid her arms around Ronnie waist.

“Thank you for doing that.” Caitlin said with a smile on her face. 

“I am glad we’re married now.” 

“So am I. I thought I lost you after the explosion to close the singularity. I’m not sure what would’ve happen to me if I lost you.”

“I pray we never have to find out.” Ronnie said. 

“Let’s go get some lunch.” Caitlin said. 

They left S.T.A.R. Labs to go grab something to eat. They‘d bring something back for the others when they were done with their lunch. 

 

Iris West reporter for Central City Picture News, sat at her desk typing a story when a large cup of Jitters coffee appeared next to her keyboard.

Iris looked up to see her fiance Eddie Thawne.

“Hey baby, how’s work for you?” Eddie asked, as he leaned down to give her a kiss.

“It’s good. I’m about done typing this story up. Does my dad know you’re here?” Iris curiously asked.

“Yes, he does know I am here. I let him know I was going to visit you.” Eddie started as he reached into his pocked and pulled out a rectangular envelope and handed it to her. “Your dad asked me to give you this.”

“What is it?” 

“I don’t know. Open it and find out.”

Iris took the envelope and opened it, pulling out two plane tickets. There was a sticky note on one of the tickets.. 

Here’s an early wedding present for you and Eddie. Signed Dad.

 

Eddie looked at the plane tickets for Hawaii. A smile appeared on both Eddie and Iris’ faces.

“These tickets are opened ended, so we can use them when we want.”

“We’re going to have to thank my dad together when we next see him.” Iris told Eddie.

“We will. I’ve to get back to work now. I’ll see you at home.” Eddie said. 

He gave her a kiss good-bye and left; Iris watched him as he left. Her eyes lingered on his ass.

 

 

Joe West sat at his desk at the precinct filling out paperwork. Eddie had left a little while ago to visit Iris. Joe hadn’t been a fan of Iris and Eddie being together in the beginning, but Eddie had proven countless times he would protect Iris. He did hope they liked his early wedding present he got them. It wasn’t much, but he was going to give his daughter anything she wanted, within reason.

Joe looked down at a file, he was filling out the paperwork. It seemed like a never ending task. He loved being a detective, but sometimes he didn’t enjoy doing paperwork. Eddie on the other hand keep up with the paperwork. He had a feeling Eddie had been staying late to get them filled out. He knew Eddie wanted to get everything caught up just in case he wanted to take some time off.

“Excuse me, are you Joe West?” A woman’s voice asked.

“Yes, I’m Joe West.” Joe started as he looked up to see who was asking for him. For some reason she seemed familiar to him, but he couldn’t place her. “What can I do for you Miss…”

“Walker.” 

“Do I know you?” Joe asked, as he stood up.

“I use to call you Jojo when you were younger.” the woman said. It was then it clicked for him.

“Allie is that you?”

The woman nodded her head. Joe eyes widen a bit. The time definatly had been kind to her. She looked great. 

“Alice Walker as I live and breath” Joe shocked voice said, as they hugged one another. They broke apart and sat down in the chairs.

“Yes, I haven’t seen you since High School. I’d really like to catch up with you. That’s why I stopped by today.” Alice said.

“Sure we can get together, do you want to do it tonight or another night?” 

“Tonight would be great. Maybe we could go out for dinner.”

“Sure,we can. I just have to let Barry, Wally and Iris know.”

“Are those friends of yours?” Alice asked curiously.

“No, they're my kids.”

“Wow, you’ve been busy.” Alice commented.

“How about you?”

“My life is good. I’ll tell you more about it when we meet for dinner.” Alice said, as she quickly glance around the room before returning her attention to Joe.

Joe noticed her looking around the room. He did wonder what was wrong. Alice was his first love...she was the one that got away. He never thought he would ever see her again, he hadn’t really thought about her. Alice showing up at the precinct to see him today was unexpected, but comforting.

“Is there anything else I can help you with?” Joe concerned voice asked.

“No, I’m fine. I’ll see you then.”

“Okay.” Joe replied. They stood up and hugged good-bye. 

Joe watched Alice walk away and out of the building. Joe had a smile on his face as he went back to his paperwork. Eddie arrived five minutes later and he gave Joe a small nod before he sat down and continued doing paperwork.


	5. Chapter 5

Leonard blinked, he wasn’t exactly sure where he was at the moment. He just knew he was in a room. His eyes scanned the room, it was then he realized it was his room when he was younger. The bed’s bedspread was of  the teenage mutant ninja turtles. The bed was big enough to fit him.   Hanging from the ceiling from  some strings were model airplanes, which he and his mother put together. Being here reminded him of his mother, and how much he missed her. 

 

Okay what exactly was going on here? How was he back in his old room? He was suppose to be dead. He had sacrificed himself to save the others...he remembered the kiss River gave him before he sacrificed himself. There was a blinding white light then he was here. Where was here exactly?

 

“Leonard.” a woman's voice said. 

 

Leonard looked to see who it was. His eyes widen a bit when he saw who the voice belong to.

 

“Mom, am I dead?”

 

“No, baby you’re not. You’re in limbo.”

 

“Why am I here?” Leonard asked her. 

 

She moved over and sat next to him on the bed. Leonard noticed his mother didn’t look a day older than when he hast saw her.

 

“They’re giving you a choice. You could move on or you could go back.” 

 

“What do you mean by that?” Leonard asked her. 

 

“They’ll show you possible futures. After that, it’s up to you to decide whether or not you move on or you go back.”

 

“What if I want to stay here with you?” Leonard said quietly. He missed his mother and he often wished he could spend more time with her. It didn’t matter how, he just wanted his mother in his life again. Maybe they could show him his future with his mother. He was going to stay or at least stay as long as he could with her. 

 

“Baby, I’d love you to stay, but that’s not possible. They won’t let it happen.”

 

“Who’s they?” Leonard questioned.

 

“I’m not at liberty to say. If you keep questioning them, then bad things will happen as a consequence for you pushing them to find out who they are.” 

 

Len’s hand on the bed curled up into a fist. He didn’t like being told he couldn’t do something. Who ever his mother was talking about has started to rub Leonard the wrong way. He was going to get more information about them and figure out what to do to get his mother away from them.

 

“How do you know I’d try to find out who they are?” 

 

“I know you…”

 

“How do you know that, unless you’ve been watching me.” 

 

“They let me watch both you and your sister grow up.” 

 

Len’s eyes widen a bit at hearing the news. She had been keeping an eye on them. Leonard was glad his mother got to see them, but on the other hand; he knew she could have done something to help them out to make their lives a little more bearable. But she hasn’t. He wanted to believe her now, but her actions hasn’t shown him she even cared about them.

 

“So you know all that’s been going on with us.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Where am I now...I mean where’s my body?” Leonard asked curiously. 

 

“You’re body’s at S.T.A.R. Labs. I got to say Barry in a nice young man.” 

 

Heat rose to Leonard cheek.

 

“Yes, he is.” 

 

“You’re good at keeping your promise. You haven’t told anyone who the Flash is out of the suit.”

 

“I’m not like dad,” Leonard snapped.

 

“I know honey.What he did to you and your sister I never wanted to happen. If I had been there it wouldn’t have happened. It would be great to be with you and your sister.”

 

“Yes, it would. Exactly when are they going to show me my potential future?’

  
  


“I’m not sure, but it’s going to be soon. I wouldn’t be surprised if they let you live in those possible future. Of course they could alway just show you what the future would be like.”

 

“Will you be there with me?” Leonard asked. He hoped she she’d be with him. Any time with his mother was time well spent..

 

“It’s not up to me. I wish it was.” His mother commented.

 

“You’ve taken very good care of your sister since I left.”

 

“I did my best. We both missed you.” 

 

“I know. I missed you both.  I’m sorry I wasn’t there for either of you guys. I hope you two will find happiness. It seems like you two are doing that.”

 

“Yes, Lisa is quite taken with Cisco.”

 

“Yes she is, but she’s not the only one taken with someone.” His mother claimed, as she put an arm around him.

 

“I don’t know what you mean.” 

 

“Honey, I know you well enough to know when you’re taken with someone.” his mother replied.

 

“There’s nothing happening with her...him,” Leonard tried to deny. His mother shot him a look.

 

“Bullshit.”

 

“What it’s true,” 

 

“How about River?”

 

“What about her?” 

 

“I know you care for her, you sacrificed your life to save hers.”

 

“I  did it to save my team.” 

 

“I know you wanted to save your team, but you didn’t want to see her die. You decided to give up your life for something good.” 

 

“Yes, I guess I did. I care for both of them, but I think they would be better off without me.” Leonard told her softly.

 

His mother has a smile on face. Leonard wasn’t exactly sure how he felt about talking to his mother about his love life...not after her being away for so long. He loved his mother, but he didn’t really know her. He defiantly wanted to change that. 

 

“Lenny, you deserve to be happy too.”

 

“I’m happy knowing they’re happy.”

 

“What if they're not?” his mother asked him.

 

“I’m sure their lives would be better without me in it. I did what I came to do. Now it’s time for me to move on...” Leonard noticed his mother had a worried look on her face. 

 

“Leonard don’t be so hasty to move on with your life.” his mother told him. 

 

His mother’s face had worry lines on them. It was then Leonard knew something was wrong.

 

“What is it?”

 

“I don’t want you to make any rash decisions. That’s all I can say.”

 

“What aren’t you telling me?’

 

She looked around the room.

 

“All I can say is things aren’t as well as you think they are.” his mother insisted. 

 

Leonard was quiet for a few moments.

 

‘Thank you.” 

 

She kissed his forehead.

 

“Michelle, it’s time for you to go now.” 

 

Michelle looked at the man who had just walked into the room; she nodded in reply, stood up and headed to the door. Leonard held onto his mother’s hand until she left.

 

The man looked at Leonard. Leonard looked back at him. The man wasn’t much taller than himself. The man did have a goatee and his eyes looked a bit shifty. Leonard didn’t like this guy at all. He did wonder if his mother was in any danger there.

 

“Mr. Snart, let’s get started.” The man said.


	6. Chapter 6

Barry stood up after he heard the news from River. He started pacing the room.

Leonard Snart was going to be a dad. At the moment he wasn’t able to wrap his mind around the information. Barry knew he didn’t just care about Len; he was in love with him. He had been for a long time. He just couldn’t admit to himself he was in love with Len. He still couldn’t. He knew he would have to admit it to himself sooner than later. He needed to think, but he wasn’t about to leave River. He usually ran when he wanted to think, but it wasn’t an option at this time.

 

Since Len was in a coma, Barry didn’t know if Len knew about River being pregnant or not. 

 

Barry was going to have to take care of them both. Len needed him to take care of his family since he couldn’t. Barry could freak out later.  Barry rubbed the back of his neck. They both needed him at the moment. Barry looked at River and he focused on how she looked.

 

River sat on the bed just looking at her hands. He didn’t know what she was thinking at the moment.

 

“River,”  Barry said, as she looked up at him.

 

River was teary eyed when she looked up at him. Those tears pulled at Barry’s heart. It made him want to be there to take care of her. No matter what happen between them. Barry moved over and sat down beside her. Then he wiped those tears away.

 

“Yes, Barry?” River replied quietly.

 

“Len is in a coma, and he’s not here right now.”  Barry started as he gave her a small smile “Does he…”

 

“He doesn’t know.” River admitted to him.

 

_ ‘Aww...shit.’ _ Barry thought to himself. This was going to be interesting, to say the least, once Len woke up.

 

“Okay, we’ll deal with that when the time comes. Right now we have to figure out exactly what we are going to do.” Barry started. River put a hand on his. “What is it?”

 

“Barry you don’t have to do this. I'm going to raise this child on my own. You and Len deserve to see where your relationship goes. I'm not going to stand in the way of that.” River admitted.

 

“River you’re not going to do this alone! I’m going to help you, plus I am sure Len is going to be thrilled to find out he’s a dad. I know he won’t let you do this alone...neither will I. We are both going to help you.”

 

It was then River burst into tears.

 

Barry gulped. River was crying and he had no idea what to do. He did the only thing he could think of to calm her down. Barry moved his hand in a circular motion on her back.

 

“River are you okay. Do you need anything?”

 

River wiped her eyes. Barry removed his hand from her back.

 

“No Barry, I don’t need anything. I was under the impression you didn’t want anything to do with me after I told you I was having Len’s baby.” River told him bashfully.

 

Barry's eyes widen a bit and his mouth was agape. Was that what she really thought of him? She tells him some shocking news and she thought he would wash his hands of her. God, he was an idiot for making her think that. Barry cared about her a lot, just about as much as he did for Len.

 

“I...umm...River... I am sorry if I gave you that impression. When I get like that, give me a little bit of time and then ask me about my reaction. I just needed a little time to process what I just heard.” Barry told her. 

 

He wrapped one of his arms around her and pulled her close. He felt her relaxing beside him. It was a few moments later Barry realized she had fallen asleep.

 

Barry gently laid her down on the bed and covered her with the blanket. He took out his cell phone and searched for information about pregnancy. He needed to know what he was in for. Barry knew he need to take notes on what he found. When he had a chance he would go to the store and buy a notebook. Unless he found one he could use at his apartment, or at work or at the lab.This was going to be an experience for all three of them. 

 

The image of himself and Len in their old age sitting on the porch of their home. Them looking onto the backyard where their grandchildren played.  He could see River being there with them now. She was playing with the grandchildren.

 

Woah, where did that come from? Their relationship wasn’t that far along… well at least Len’s wasn’t. River, on the other hand, didn’t see him in that way, so nothing would happen there.

 

He mentally shook his head.  Things weren’t like that. It wouldn’t be; he knew it wouldn’t be.

 

Barry looked over at River’s sleeping form. He had to admit she did look peaceful. It was probably a good idea to let her sleep. She’s been through alot and her body needed the sleep.

 

He needed to catch up on sleep as well. The Metahumans he had faced were tough and he hadn’t had a chance to really relax these past five months. When he did have the time to relax he spent it with Len.

 

Barry talked to Len. He wasn’t sure if Len heard him or not… but at least Barry was letting him know someone was there for him. Of course, he hadn’t said anything to Len about his sister who was missing at the moment.

 

It wouldn’t hurt to rest on the bed next to River. She was after all in love with Len, not him, so what was the trouble of getting some rest now? If they needed him for something they would call him.

 

Barry walked over and laid down next to River. There was only one bed in the motel room. He faced away from her and put his cellphone on the nightstand. It was loud enough to wake him, but not loud enough to wake River, he hoped. He closed his eyes and let darkness overtake him.

  
  



	7. Chapter 7

Cisco knew if Lisa was there with him right now, that she would kick his ass for not taking care of himself. All he wanted was for Lisa to be there with him, not wherever she was at the moment.

Cisco walked out of S.T.A.R. Labs slowly. He yawned a couple of times before he got to the door to the outside world. It was a good thing he brought his bicycle with him today. It wouldn’t take him long to get home. When he got home he would take a shower and then go lay down for a few hours. Afterwards he was going to go back to S.T.A.R. Labs to search for Lisa.

Since Lisa disappeared, everything had changed, especially for him . The metahumans seemed more and more active lately. He used to name the metahumans they meet, but for the past five months, his mind had been on finding Lisa. Naming the metahumans was not high up on his list.

Cisco was halfway home when he reached the intersection. The crossing light shone brightly with the walking man a solid blue. Cisco was in the middle of crossing the road when a horn blared at him. He turned his head to see a car heading right for him. Then his vision went black.

It was not long after there was a lot of activity as onlookers stopped to watch what was going on. Someone had called 911 a few seconds after the crash happened. The ambulance came and took Cisco to Central City General Hospital.

 

Barry opened his eyes as he heard his phone playing Darth Vader’s theme song. He pushed the send button to answered.

“Hello,” Barry groggy voice answered.

“Barry, you gotta come quick! Cisco was in a accident and he’s at the hospital now.” Caitlin’s worried voice came from the other end of the line.

“What happened?” Barry asked, as he felt a hand on his. 

He looked over to see River with a worried look on her face. Barry took the phone away from his ear and hit the speaker button. Caitlin’s voice filled the room.

“Cisco was on his way home, crossing the street when he got hit by a car. They lost him once in the ambulance… I don’t know after that. The doctors are in with him now.” 

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Barry replied.

“See you when you get here.” Caitlin said, as she disconnected the call. 

“I’m coming with you.” River told him. 

Barry looked at her.

“I thought you had to figure things out.” Barry said.

“Barry, one of my friends is in the hospital, and I am going to be with him. I’ll just have to figure things out there.” River told him, as she got up and gathered her thing together for the trip back.

“I’ll rent a car to go back with.” Barry worried voice commented.

“Flashing us there would be faster.” 

“I’m not going to take any chances with you or Len’s child.” Barry argued. 

River didn’t know what to say. He was being protective when he really didn’t need to. 

“Barry the sooner you stop arguing with me and flash us there the less worried you will be about him.” 

“River the force of me flashing might have some unknown effect on the baby. I am not about to risk the child’s life just to get there faster to be there for another friend who isn’t well.” Barry told her.

Tears welled up in River eyes. Barry hated to see her cry. 

“All right, all right, we’ll flash there just this once.” Barry told her. 

This was going to be bad once River figured out she only had to be on the verge of crying to get him to do whatever she wanted. River wiped her eyes and gave him a smile. Barry picked her up and flashed back to Central City all the while praying that his flashing didn’t hurt River or Len’s child.

They arrived in an alleyway a few blocks from the hospital. Barry set River down. He did notice on the flash over River’s nose was close to his neck. He didn’t mind at all, but he was going to ask her about it later. Right now they were about to go check on Cisco.

Barry started to walk towards the hospital with River next to him. He was surprised when River grabbed his hand. He didn’t say anything to her about it. He enjoyed his hand being in hers.

They entered the hospital and headed to the waiting room area. When they got there everyone’s eyes were on them.

Caitlin saw them first, her gaze went straight to their hands which were still together. Caitlin's eyebrows rose slightly.

River was about to let go of Barry's hand when she felt him give her hand a squeeze. She let her hand stay put.

“How is he?” Barry worriedly asked.

“He’s still in surgery.”

“Hey River, how are you doing?” Iris asked her.

“Hey, Iris. I’m doing okay. I came with Barry after he told me what happened.” River replied back.

“I’m glad you came back with him.”

“I’m not letting one of my good friends, who I’ve known as long as I known Barry, not have my support to get better.” 

“Have you got whatever you needed figured out?”

“No. Right now Cisco is my main concern. I can figure out everything else later when Cisco is out of the woods.”

“Okay,” Iris replied as she gave her a smile. 

Everyone got settled in. Barry and River went to sit down, still holding hands. It felt right to both of them and neither one minded the other’s hand.

“So...about our predicament?” Barry asked.

“Barry, we will figure it out. Let’s just focus on getting Cisco better. Do you think you can take me to S.T.A.R. Labs so I can look at the footage of the accident?” River’s concerned voice asked him.

“Sure, let me let the guys know where we are going to be.” Barry told her as she let go of his hand. Barry stood up and walked over to Caitlin and Ronnie. 

“Hey Barry. Is everything okay?”

“Yes, I just wanted to let you guys know River and I are heading over to STAR Labs to see if we can find anything out about Cisco accident.” Barry stated.

Ronnie looked at River. River gave him a small wave back.

“Okay, keep us in the loop if you find anything.” Caitlin insisted.

“I will.” 

Caitlin gave him a hug.

“Be careful, both of you.”

“We will.” Barry said.

Caitlin let him go. Barry walked over to River and they headed for the hospital entrance to leave.


	8. Chapter 8

Lisa let out a yawn as she stretched out on the couch. Her body needed the rest. The uneasiness was still there after she woke up. Lisa thought about the last time she ate anything. If her memory served her correctly she hadn’t really eaten much for the last past five months. If she thought about it she never had the craving for her favorite dessert, which Len made for her for on special occasions or just because he wanted to see her smile.

After Cisco’s death things hadn’t felt the same. Lisa knew there was something wrong. Of course she was going to get to the bottom of it. Even if it’s the last thing she did.

Lisa grabbed the blanket at the end of the couch and threw it on the back of the couch. What she saw startle her for a second. The blanket phased right through it. Lisa moved and picked up the blanket. She tried to put it on the back of the couch again, the blanket did the same thing.

Okay this was a little weird. Maybe she was in an alternate time line….no that couldn’t be it. If it was then Cisco wouldn’t have died. Let's see..Maybe she’s dreaming...not can’t be dreaming, if she was then there would be a few things different here. So alternate world and dreaming were out.

Maybe this was a magician’s trick. That was definitely a possibility. She knew neither Len, Mick nor herself knew a magician who could pull this off...It clicked for Lisa, the reason why she wasn’t hungry, why Len wasn’t acting like himself. It meant Cisco wasn’t dead. 

Someone has kidnapped her; stuck her in this world for five months. She had no idea how her brother was taking the news she was missing.

“Lisa, we are going to hit S.T.A.R. Labs,” Leonard told her. Lisa needed to play this right until she could figure out a way to get a message to her brother or to at least the real Cisco.

“You’ve got this planned out then. Should we bring our guns with us?” Lisa asked sweetly.

Leonard looked at her, one of his eyebrows rose up slightly.

“What, can’t a girl have any fun?” Lisa asked coyly.

“Yes, it seems like you woke up in a better mood.” Leonard said.

“I am in a better mood. I want to create havoc. I might even let Mick set something on fire. Emphasis on might.” Lisa said.

Mick walked into the room. 

“Are we ready to go?” 

“Yes, Mick we are.” 

“Good it’s about time. I’ve stashed the money away. When we get back we can figure out what we will do with it.” Mick calmly said, as he headed out to the car. Lisa went and got the gold gun before going to the car.

When she got into the car Mick gave her a surprised look.

“Can’t a girl have fun?” Lisa asked.

“Sure, but you weren’t too keen on using the gold gun.” Mick commented.

“A gal can change her mind, can’t she?” Lisa asked.

Leonard started the car and started to drive to S.T.A.R. Labs.

It didn’t take to long for them to get there. Once there, Len parked the car. There weren’t too many people there. The people who were there took one look at them, turn around and walked quickly in the opposite direction.

Leonard, Mick and Lisa walked into the restricted area and made their way to the room where the device was located. It would stop The Flash from going after them. Before they could open the door, The Flash stood in front of them.

“Snart,”

“Flash,”

“You know I am not go-” The Flash started.

Lisa fired her gold gun. It hit The Flash and turned his feet into gold.

“Nice.” Leonard said.

“Thank you!”

Len turned to the door and took a few moments before the door opened.

“It was nice talking to you, but we just came here to get this. Since we now have it, we’ll be on our way.” Leonard said, as he picked up the device and pocketed. 

Lisa fired her gun again and covered him completely in gold. It would take him a few moments to get out of it. They would be able to escape in the time it took.

“Let’s go.” Lisa started. She turned to Mick. “Light’em up.”

Then she headed out the door with Mick and Len following behind her.

 

Once they were back, Lisa turned on the news to see if they were covering the robbery. The thing was, on the news wasn’t the robbery being reported it was the death of The Flash. 

Lisa mouth was agape. Len use his index finger and closed it for her. 

“Well you’ve solved our problem with The Flash. Now we can get on with our lives without worrying about him. Thank you baby sister. ” 

Even if it was a virtual world Lisa did feel bad about killing The Flash, it wasn’t her intent. Lisa had to remember anything here wasn’t real. Whoever had capture her was going to pay dearly once she got out of this world. Lisa could let loose in here since she knew it was a virtual world and nothing was real.

“You’re welcome dear brother. Maybe we could go get a drink.” Lisa started as she looked at the clock. “I know it’s early, but it’s never too early to get a drink.” 

“All right.” Leonard said.

Mick nodded his head in agreement. They headed to Saint and Sinners. It was their second home. Everyone knew them, but no one messed with them. Everyone knew better than to mess with the Snarts or Mick Rory.

When they went inside clapping started. Someone came up to Lisa. 

“I heard we have you to thank for getting rid of The Flash.” the woman said.

“I guess so.”

Lisa didn’t want all this attention, but knew the only way she could escape the attention was to leave. If she did that whoever was running this place might figure out she knew the place wasn't real. Lisa had to act as if there wasn’t anything wrong.

“I thought you would be happier about it.” the woman said.

“Just because I don’t show it on the outside, doesn’t mean I am not happy on the inside.” Lisa claimed.

Lisa glared at the woman. The woman raised her hand in surrender and backed away from Lisa.

Lisa made her way to the table where Mick and Leonard sat. 

“Let’s get something to drink.” Mick said, as he went to the bar to order something

Lisa let out a sigh as she watched Mick walked away.


	9. Chapter 9

When River and Barry got to S.T.A.R. Labs, Barry showed her to the computer where she could look through the security footage. She sat down in front of the computer and started to type. It didn’t take long to find the footage she needed.

River and Barry watched as Cisco got hit by the car. River slowed the footage down. She watched trying to notice anything that would help them find out if this was an accident or if someone was trying to kill him.

“Gotcha,” River said. 

Barry looked at the screen.

“What’d you see?” Barry asked, trying to see what she saw.

“Someone switched the walk sign. See the how the light is red? The sign is suppose to be red, but as you can see Cisco appears and then the light changed.

“You’re right,” Barry said, as he saw exactly what River saw.

“I’m going to try and find out exactly who is trying to kill him.” River started, as she moved closer to the desk. “I’m going to be here for a while. Do you think you can get me some food please?”

“Sure,” Barry said, as he flashed out.

River glanced over to the other room. She saw Len laying there. The urged to go over there was strong, but she had to find out who was after Cisco first. River mentally shook her head. She start typing, really hacking to find what she was looking for. 

Barry was back with bags from Big Belly Burger. He set them beside her. Then he grabbed a chair and sat down beside her.

A few hours passed

“Got it.”

 

Barry looked up from where he sat.

“Do we know who’s after him?”

 

“I don’t know who’s after him. I did pinpointed the area where the person started the attack from.” 

“That’s good. Can you give me the information so I can get it to the right people.”

“I’ll write it down for you.” River started, as she got the notepad and wrote the information down. “Here.”

River handed him the paper as he reached for it.

“I’m going to check this out. I’ll be back soon.” Barry said, as River leaned over and kissed his cheek. 

Barry froze. It was a kiss. Not the kiss he wanted, but it was a kiss nonetheless.

“Okay, be careful.” River said, as he flashed out of the room.

 

River took out a burger and started to eat. Her mind was now on her life, which had changed a lot.  
She had a life growing inside her. River put a hand on her stomach.

River looked at over at Len who laid in the next room.

River put the burger down, got up and walked over to Len’s side. 

He looked so peaceful.

“Hey Len. I am glad you’re alive. I hope you hear this.” River started, as she put her hand in his. “I know you’re in love with Barry. The thing is I am in love with him too, but I can’t tell him. I am in love with you too. Things are changing in my life. I love you and Barry both. I am setting you both free. You and Barry deserve to see where your relationship goes.” 

She just stood there as she slipped her hand out of his. After five minutes passed by she went back to eating.

It was fifteen minutes later when Barry appeared. River had just finished the last of her burgers.

“I’ve checked out the area. Whoever it was isn’t there anymore. There’s no clue as to where the person went. ”

“I’ll search again to see if I can find out anything.” River said, as she started to move to the keyboard.

Barry put out a hand to stop her from getting to the keyboard.

“River, you have done enough for today. I do not want you to over exhaust yourself.”

“Barry, I’m fine.”

“We need you to be at your best. If you go back to work now then you will be tired later. We can not afford you to be not at your best.”

“Barry…”

“River, how about we take a break and start figuring some of these other things out. It will make it easier on us later.” Barry said. 

He hoped she would agree to sit down and talk about things with him.

River looked at him for a few seconds.

“You’re right. It might be a good idea to talk this out before we go on.” River said as she stood up. They moved over to the couch and sat down.

“Okay, so what are we going to do?” Barry asked.

“I think we should buy some books about pregnancy. It’ll help us prepare for what will be coming ahead.”

 

“Yes, that would be a good idea.” Barry agreed.

“I’ll go pick up some of the books in a little bit.”

“Hey, why don’t we go and pick up the books right now,” Barry suggested.

River took his hand into hers, they didn’t release their hands.

“I think that sounds like a great idea. I’m craving something sweet.” 

“Well, we can get something there.” 

“Do you think I can rest a little bit before we go pick up the books.”

“Sure.” Barry said, as River stretched out on the couch. River put her head on Barry’s lap.

Barry stroked River’s head. It took a few moments before he heard River’s breathing even out. It was then Barry knew she was asleep. Barry leaned back and put his head on the back of the couch. 

Things had been crazy for him, but he knew things would get better. Len would come out of his coma and they would be together. They would take care of Len’s child with River.

An hour passed by before River woke up from her nap.

“Hey,” River started, as she looked up at the clock “Sorry I slept so long.” 

“You didn’t sleep that long. We can go to the store and get the books now,” 

“Yes, it would be great to do that now.” River said, as they got up and headed out to get the books.


	10. Chapter 10

Caitlin stood up from where she sat. It’s been a few hours since they got any news on Cisco. This wasn’t something she wanted for him. Cisco was someone she cared about a lot. She never want anything like this to happen. 

She desperately hoped that Cisco didn’t end up dying. They got to the hospital and rushed him into surgery. It has been a couple of hours since he went in.

The most surprising thing was that River was back now. Caitlin didn’t really know how she felt about it. They had spent time together and became really good friends. When they first met things didn’t click, but they started to hang out and got to know one another. Things got better after that. 

Things were different when she met Ronnie. Caitlin was fine with her life as it was. When he entered her life, he got her to try things she never done before. It was a change for her and she wasn’t quiet use to it at first. After some time she got her groove back. 

Ronnie was reading a magazine, he looked over at Caitlin and gave her a smile. Caitlin smiled back and then she turned and headed over to the coffee vending machine. She put the change in and waited for the cups of coffee to come out. Once she got the two cup of coffee she headed back to the waiting room and hand a cup to Ronnie.   
acac  
Ronnie took the cup and Caitlin sat next to him. Ronnie took a sip of the coffee.

“How are you holding up?” Ronnie asked.

“I am doing okay. I just hope everything is okay with Cisco.” Caitlin said, as she sat beside Ronnie. 

What happened if Cisco did die? It wouldn’t be any good for anyone. Cisco was someone who she cared for a lot. There was a lot to think about now. If he died things were going to be a lot different. Caitlin would end up crying a lot for the loss of one of her best friends. It would feel like there was a piece of herself missing. Things were going to look slightly darker if they lost him. All she knew was she would never truly be healed from Cisco’s death. 

When Cisco get out of surgery she knew it was going to be a long road ahead. Caitlin was going to be there to help out in whatever way she could.

 

“Cisco will pull through, the he’s a fighter. Plus, he wouldn’t leave Lisa all alone.”

Caitlin let out a sigh.

“I know, it’s just all of our lives have changed this past year. I am just hoping we all make it through what ever else comes at us.”

“Caitlin we will get through whatever comes at us. We deserve to be happy as well.”

“I agree. When the singularity appeared and you went to stop it with Dr Stein, my heart stopped then. When you and Stein fell from the singularity, I was glad Barry was able to catch you both and get you both to safety.” Caitlin said, as they both put down their coffee. 

Caitlin took Ronnie’s hand in hers.

“I love you. I’ve known since I met you. The singularity changed you. I know it’s been hard for you since you are not longer Firestorm. We will figure this out. Whatever happens we will get through everything.” 

Ronnie squeezed her hand.

“I love you too. I am glad I survived. It’s going to take me a little while to get back into the groove on things. Not being able to merge with Stein is hard at the moment. Since I’m incompatible with him. I know as time goes on things will get easier. We will do this together.” 

Caitlin leaned over and kissed his cheek.

They leaned back in the chairs, their hands entwined together. Caitlin leaned into Ronnie side.

 

Iris and Eddie looked over at Caitlin and Ronnie.

“So… are you okay?” Eddie asked her.

“No, I am not okay. My good friend is in the hospital after an accident, and I have no idea how he’s doing right now.” Iris angrily stated.

“Babe, I am sure the doctor will tell us when they get him stable.” Eddie told her. 

“Okay. I just don’t want to see Cisco not get his happy ending. Everyone deserve it.”

“I know babe, he will get his happy ending. We just need to believe he will be fine.”

“I know he will be fine. I just hope everyone else believes that.” Iris said. 

 

When she heard the news Cisco was in the hospital she had rushed out of Central City Picture News moments after hanging up the phone.

Iris consider Cisco a brother to her. She would do almost anything for him, just like for Wally and Barry. Tears had started to fall after she heard the news about Cisco. Linda Park had asked her what was wrong. She doesn’t remember what her reply was, because she was already out the door.

“They do. Well, I believe they do.” Eddie admitted. 

Cisco was an awesome person who he respected. To hear he was in the hospital after an accident wasn’t something he wanted to hear. He had meet Iris here her eyes were puffy, so he knew she had been crying. He was going to be there for her no matter what. 

The thing was Eddie was going to sacrifice himself to save the ones he loves, but he didn’t need to do that. Cisco had been the one to find the futurist weapon which killed Eobard Thawne. Moments after he was dead a singularity had form above the city, the Flash and Firestorm had stopped it from destroying Central City.

“I know there’s nothing we can do right now. Do you want to go and get something to eat?” Iris asked Eddie.

“Sure, I think it would be a great idea. I know Caitlin will call if anything does happen to Cisco. I hope nothing does happen to Cisco.”

“So do I.”

Eddie and Iris stood up, they stopped by Caitlin and Ronnie to let them know they were leaving to get something to eat.

Barry and River took an uber to the Knight’s Book Shoppe. The bookstore had been in Central City for ten years now. The daughter of the store's original owner had taken over recently and a lot had changed, a cafe had been added making the feel of the place friendly and inviting. There were areas where you could sit and read a book at if you wanted too. A children’s play area had also been added along with free wi-fi to use.

Barry and River walked into the shoppe holding each other's hand.

“Hello,” the woman behind the register said with a smile on her face.

“Hello.” Barry and River said in unison. They moved towards the area which held the books on pregnancy and childbirth and stood in front of the books.

“There’s so many to choose from, how do we know which one we need?” Barry asked.   
River looked at him. Barry wasn’t sure where to start, he hoped River had an idea of where to start from.

 

“Well, since we brought a notebook with us we could get a couple of books and go somewhere where no one can see us. Then you could speed read and write everything in the notebook.” River suggested. 

This was a test for Barry. It wasn’t right to do this to him, but she wanted to be sure he was serious about helping her. If he did speed read the books, then she knew he wasn’t there for her and had something else to do with his time.If he didn’t then it meant he did want to spend the time getting to know what was needed to help her out. River wanted to see what he would do. Barry stared at her wide-eyed. 

“I could do that, but I am not going to. I meant what I said about being there to help you out.” Barry seriously said, as he reached out for one of the books on the shelve. “Why don’t we take a few book with us and find a seat to sit down to read and take notes.”

River mentally sighed. Barry was serious about this. She gave him a smile and nodded her head. They both grabbed a couple of books and headed to a unoccupied table and sat down.

Every so often River would sneak glances at Barry. A couple of times she saw him writing in the notebook.

“Can I get you two anything?” a voice asked. 

River looked up to see the young lady from behind the register.

“Do you want anything River?” Barry asked. 

“How about hot tea, clam chowder and philly cheesesteak and a double chocolate brownie.” River said, as she looked at the menu on the table.

“Okay, how about you?” the woman asked Barry.

“I will take the same.” Barry replied. 

“Okay, I’ll get both your orders in now.”

“Thank Ms…” Barry started, but then he looked at the young woman to get her name...or at least last name.

“Knight. Katherine Knight. Kathy for short.” Kathy said.

“Thank you Ms. Knight.” Barry said giving her a smile. 

Kathy turned around and headed to the cafe to get the order ready. River could see another person working the front counter. 

River wasn’t one to get jealous, but for a split second felt so…regardless she couldn’t stop the green-eyed monster from flaring up inside her. It was stupid. Barry was in love with Len, so he wasn’t interested in Ms. Knight. Barry wasn’t interested in her either. He was here for Len and his child and that was all. River knew there wasn’t any hope of anything happening between her and both Barry and Len. She had to find someone new to fill her time with. It made her feel like her favorite book was taken away.

It didn’t take long for the food to come. They put the books aside to eat, not wanting to get any food on the books.

“This looks delicious.” River said.

“They make the best Clam Chowder here in Central City.” Barry commented. River took a bite and let out a small moan.

“I agree with you there Barry. This is the best Clam Chowder I have eaten.” River admitted. Barry gave her a smile and they continued to eat until there was nothing left. They went back to reading and gathering notes.

Barry leaned over the book to read it, every few moments he stopped and wrote in the notebook next to the book. River sat back in her chair and read the book in front of her. She stopped and jotted down notes from what she read from the book. Every so often she heard the bell above the door jingle and it meant there were customers coming in or leaving. 

River wanted Barry to hold her, but she didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable so she wasn’t going to bring it up. 

Kathy brought the check and set it on the table near the edge then she turned and left.

River noticed it getting dark outside. She knew they would have to leave soon. Barry had about five books stacked next to him. The notebook he had was more than halfway full with his notes. Rive could tell Barry was serious about this. A smile appeared as she watched Barry as he wrote down more notes.

“We’re about to close. If you bring your purchases up to the front counter we can ring it up for you.” Kathy said as she stopped in front of their table.

River got out her phone and got an uber for the ride back to S.T.A.R. Labs or back to the hospital.

“Thank you.” Barry said, as he gather the seven books they had. River’s love for Barry grew a little more since he stayed with her and took the time to read more about dealing with her current condition and what to do afterwards.

Barry waited for River to gather her things for them to leave. Kathy cleared their table of their dirty dishes. River stood up beside Barry, she leaned over and gave Barry a kiss on the cheek before she turned and headed to the front door.

Barry was stunned for a few seconds before he mentally shook himself out of the shock. He went to the front register and brought the books. Afterward they went outside and waited for their uber.

The uber arrived. Barry and River got into the back seat.

“Still going to Central City General Hospital?” the uber driver asked

“Yes were are.” Barry replied. 

The uber driver pulled away from the curb and into the the flow of traffic.

It didn’t take them to long to get there. On the short drive over River ended up leaning against Barry with her hand entwined with his. Barry smiled and leaned his head against hers. He was happy with her, but he cared for Leonard Snart as well. He had a feeling this was going to get more complicated before it was sorted out. They got out of the car and headed inside. 

Iris, Eddie, Ronnie, Caitlin, and Joe were there. Joe’s eyes immediately went to their hands. River felt Barry give her hand a squeeze which meant he wasn’t going to release her hand or let her take her hand from his. River was nervous. Joe was Barry’s father and she didn’t want Barry to have a fight or something bad to happen between them because of her.

“How is he?” River asked.

“He’s out of Surgery and in the ICU.” Iris told them.

“Thank goodness.” River said.

“So are you two okay?” Eddie asked.

“Yes we are fine. We did end up finding out that is was no accident a meta human is involved in this. I tracked them down, but there was nothing there when Barry got there.”

Joe glared at Barry.

“You went alone with no back up? What would have happened if something went wrong? What were you thinking?” Joe angrily asked.

“Joe calm down. Nothing happened to me. I am fine. I knew everyone was busy. If I ran into trouble then River was there to back me up.” Barry exclaimed as River squeezed his hand a little tighter.

Joe took a moment to breathe. Then he looked at Barry.

“Barry, next time please at least have more than just River there to back you up. I will feel more comfortable if Caitlin or Ronnie was their as your backup as well.” 

“Okay Joe. If I find out anything else dealing with his case I will have Eddie, Iris, Ronnie and Caitlin along with River to back me up.” Barry said. 

“Has anyone tried to reach Cisco’s family?” River asked quietly.

“We did they went on a cruise to Hawaii. They are on their way back here. It’s going to take them roughly around nine hours to get here.” Eddie told them.

“Good. Cisco needs them to be here for him.” River said.

“Okay, it’s getting late. I think we should head home and get some rest. Most of us have jobs to get to in the morning.” Joe commented. 

Everyone nodded their head in agreement. 

“I’ll stay and I will call you guys with any update.” River offered. It was the logical choice in her mind.

“River you don’t have to do that.” Iris said.

 

“Joe, Eddie, Iris, Caitlin, Ronnie and Barry - you guys all have jobs to get to in the morning I don’t. It’s logical for me to stay.” River stated.

“But-” Barry started, but a look from River had Barry closing his mouth.

“Are you sure?” Iris asked.

“I am sure.”

“Okay.” 

Joe, Iris, Eddie, Ronnie, and Caitlin said goodbye to one another and headed out. Barry stayed with River.

“I am going to stay for a little while longer then head home.” Barry told her.

“Okay.” River said, as they sat down on the waiting room chairs. 

Barry turned and kissed the side of her forehead. River had a smile on her face as they leaned back in the chairs.


End file.
